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Getting The Most From Your Carpet
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By Jody A. Fusinatto, House of Floors - Jacksonville
New Carpet represents the number
one budget cost for the multi-family industry. That is why we at House of
Floors have worked closely with Manufacturers over the years to bring you
the best products on the market and still be cost efficient. In recent additions
of our newsletter, we have talked about using better padding to extend the
life of your new carpet and about the different fibers available to give
you better wear and stain values. With that said, I still from time to time
hear “Will that carpet only last seven months or is it only a year old and
it’s ruined.” I really don’t think it is as much the carpets fault as it
is the end user’s fault. So I thought I would pass along some information
from Shaw Industries on how to care for your carpet. You as owners, managers,
assistant manager, etc. could pass this information onto new residents with
new carpet. It may save your carpets life!!! The Carpet Care Program:
The comprehensive carpet care program consists of four elements:
- Preventive maintenance
- Regular vacuuming
- Removal of spots and spills
- Overall cleaning on a regular basis
1. PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE:
Walk-off mats should be used at all entrances to absorb soil and moisture,
and mats should be cleaned on a regular basis so they don’t become sources
of soil themselves, especially during inclement weather. Try to keep your
sidewalks and entrance ways free of excessive dirt and substances which
can be tracked into the home. Move heavy furniture occasionally to avoid
excessive pile crushing. Put coasters intended for use with carpet under
the legs of tables, chairs, and other furniture to help distribute the weight
and prevent crushing the pile. Do not use chairs or appliances with rollers
or casters on carpet without a chair pad designed for carpet. Continued
use without a chair pad can cause damage to the carpet. When using Berber
never pull on a loose fiber, always snip the fiber with a pair of scissors.
This will prevent future snagging and pulling out of a complete row of the
Berber.
2. REGULAR VACUUMING:
The most important step in caring for your
carpet is vacuuming. Vacuum thoroughly and
frequently, particularly in high-traffic areas. Bear
in mind that walking on soiled carpet permits the
soil particles to work their way below the surface
of the pile where they are far more difficult to
remove and can damage the fibers. Frequent
vacuuming removes these particles from the
surface before this happens. 3. REMOVAL OF SPOTS AND SPILLS:
The numbers are keyed to the stain, and all
instructions should be used in the recommended
sequence. Some stains are PRO, indicating
professional knowledge and equipment are
necessary.
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A. Water Soluble Stains: Absorb as much as
possible with white towels. Blot the stained
areas with white towels dampened with cool
water until there is no more transfer of the
stain onto the towels.
If any of the stain remains, use a detergent
solution of 1/4 teaspoon of detergent to 32
oz. of water. Spray lightly onto the spot and
blot repeatedly with white towels, working
from the outer edge in toward the center of
the spot to avoid spreading.
Rinse thoroughly by spraying with clean
water, and then blot or extract. Do not use
too much detergent because the residue will
contribute to rapid re-soiling.
A-1 As in A, but before using detergent, apply a
solution to a white towel (1 part white vinegar
to 1 part water) and blot or spray onto spot.
A-2 As in A, but before using detergent, apply a
household ammonia solution (1 tablespoon of ammonia to one cup of water) to a
white towel and blot or spray onto spot. DO NOT USE ON WOOL OR WOOL BLEND
CARPET. Rinse as in A. - B. Oil-Based Stains: Blot as much as possible with white paper
towels. Apply carbonaenergine, etc. spot remover to a paper towel and repeat
blotting. (Protective gloves should be worn, as the solvent will quickly
remove oils from the skin and could result in irritation.) Do not pour or
spray directly on the carpet pile, as damage to the backing or adhesive
underneath could result; us the towels to transport the solvent to the carpet.
Repeat as often as necessary.
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C. Freeze stains such as chewing gum and
candle wax with ice or a commercially available product in an aerosol can.
Shatter with a blunt object and vacuum before the chips soften. Follow up with
solvent as in B.
- D. Bleach - WARNING - Only
carpets which are solution dyed (most Berber carpet) are resistant to
bleaching, but do not exceed the recommended concentration. Do not use
this procedure unless you are absolutely certain the carpet is solution
dyed - carpets dyed by other systems will be damaged. For solution-dyed
carpet with stains such as food dyes, fruit drink and coffee not removed
by A-1, use a solution of one part chlorine bleach to five parts water.
Rinse several times with water to remove excess bleach so that none
is tracked to their areas where there is conventionally dyed carpet.
4. OVERALL CLEANING ON A REGULAR BASIS:
If carpet is cleaned before it becomes too unsightly, the cleaning chore
will be easier and more successful. It is a myth that cleaning the carpet
before it is absolutely necessary will cause it to get dirty faster. Carpet
in a typical household should be cleaned every 12 to 18 months depending
upon the number of residents and amount and type of activity. Choice of
the proper cleaning system is important. Shaw Industries recommends the
hot water extraction system.
SPECIFIC STAIN REMOVAL PROCEDURES CHART
USING THE ABOVE INFORMATION
| STAIN |
REMOVAL PROCEDURE |
| Alcoholic Beverage | A | | Asphalt | B, PRO |
| Beer | A | | Betadine | PRO | | Berries |
A | | Blood (wet) | A | | Blood (dry) | A-2 |
| Butter | B | | Chewing Gum | C | | Chocolate |
A-2 | | Coffee | A-1 (D if necessary) | | Cola Drinks |
A | | Cosmetics | A (D if necessary) | | Crayon |
B | | De-icer (Calcium Chloride) | Vacuum, A | | Excrement |
A | | Food Dyes | A | | Furniture Polish | A,B, PRO |
| Glue (white) | A | | Gravy | A | | Grease (Auto) |
B, PRO | | Grease (Food) | B | | Ice Cream | A |
| Ink (Ballpoint) | B, PRO | | Ink (Permanent) | B, (D if necessary) | | Ink (Washable) | A, PRO | | Jelly | A | | Lipstick |
B | | Milk | A | | Mud | A | | Mustard |
A (D, if necessary) | | Nail Polish | Polish Remover |
| Paint (Latex, wet) | A | | Paint (Latex, dry) | B |
| Paint (Oil) | B, PRO | | Rust | PRO | | Shoe Polish |
B | | Tea | A (D, if necessary) | | Urine | A-1, PRO |
| Vomit | A-1 |
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